Ben Affleck Is Confused About Which Superhero He's No Longer Playing

It’s already difficult to keep track of the various DC and Marvel films, their spinoffs, sequels, huge casts, and simultaneously running hype machines, but Ben Affleck’s saga as Batman has been particularly complicated. Before Affleck’s first big standalone film as Batman, aptly titled The Batman, has even started production, there have been rumors of Warner Brothers’ replacing him as the Caped Crusader. Then Affleck squashed those rumors at Comic-Con. Then Casey Affleck stirred the pot again. Making things even more cloudy, Affleck also stepped down as the director of The Batman, after teasing buzzy castings such as Joe Manganiello as Slade Wilson. Will Manganiello be in Mat Reeves’ version of The Batman? Will Ben Affleck even be in the movie? And while we're here, why would any badass vigilante insist on a helmet with vestigial ears?

Affleck seems to be subconsciously channeling that confusion into his wardrobe. The actor stepped out in Los Angeles yesterday wearing his own personal security blanket/superhero cape, a very dope, very expensive leather jacket—in a very un-Batman color. A very, oh, daring color...

Way back in simpler times, like 2003, Affleck got his first taste of the superhero life as the titular character in Marvel's Daredevil. The movie wasn't critically loved—or, really, liked—but it did rake in millions at the box office. Maybe Affleck's channelling that ticket-selling mojo and the as hype for his next stint as Batman in Justice League, which comes out in November.

Most likely, though, Ben Affleck saw this excellent Dolce & Gabbana jacket in a store, or on the rack of his stylist, Ilaria Urbinati, and thought, Damn, that's awesome. And he knew that, despite the jacket being firetruck red, it would work with damn near any t-shirt in his dresser without much thought or complication, while also standing out in a comic-book universe's worth of black and brown leather versions.

Or maybe he just has a thing for RAW-era Eddie Murphy style.

Whatever the reason, we give Ben Affleck's red leather jacket four out of five stars and look forward to the next three sequels.